¿De dónde eres?

14 Aug 2017

Say “Hola” or “Kia ora” or “Hello”, and welcome Carlos Toda Plaza to our community. Carlos, from Viaró Global School in Barcelona, Spain, is on a one-month teaching fellowship at College, the first person to take part in a new College–Viaró exchange. “I was very interested to come here. At Viaró I teach Spanish, history and geography and, as much of the history and geography curriculum is taught in English, I want to improve my English language, as well as my teaching skills.”

Carlos is helping out with Year 9 and 10 Spanish conversation classes and also taking some Year 10 history classes, offering a European perspective on the interwar period in Europe and teaching the boys about the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) and the political and emotional reverberations of that conflict.

Carlos took a circuitous route into teaching. He originally trained as a lawyer, and then went into journalism, before retraining as a teacher. “In Spain, there’s still the idea that you make your career choice and stick with it. Some of my family and friends were shocked, but I believe it’s always possible to change, to search until you find what feels right. I didn’t feel fulfilled by law or journalism and wanted to do something more meaningful. Teaching is perfect for me, I really love it.”

Teaching not only allows Carlos to share his passion for history and geography, but also gives him opportunities to make a real difference in his students’ lives. Viaró Global School is a Catholic boys’ school encompassing all year levels, from kindergarten, through primary and secondary. Carlos teaches in the secondary school. It is, he says, very similar to College, as both have strong traditions, share similar values, and aspire to excellence in all aspects of education.